Joe Gibbs, who owns the Toyota that Kyle Busch drove to a NASCAR Cup victory Sunday in Phoenix, has experience with athletes who excel in their chosen sport. Gibbs put Busch in that elite class after the driver scored his 199th victory in the three national touring series with a weekend sweep in Phoenix, his 12th such sweep, most of all-time.

“I think for me, you know, it happened in football where we had some guys that all of a sudden on Sundays when they put the helmet on, you kind of look at them, they get it,” Gibbs said in the Phoenix post-race press conference. “They know what the sport’s about. They are after it. They’re determined. It’s not often you find it. Certainly I think with Kyle, over here in this sport, I think Kyle is one of those guys.”

Thus far this season, in 11 NASCAR national series events, Busch has won five of the eight races he has entered. This weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Busch will compete in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday and the Cup Auto Club 400 on Sunday. Busch has three Cup wins at Fontana (including back-to-back victories in 2013-14), a track-best six Xfinity Series victories (four in a row from 2008-11) and two Truck wins (2008-09). He swept the weekend in 2013, winning both the Cup and Xfinity races.

Older brother Kurt has been surprised, to an extent, about Kyle’s drive and determination.

“I’m incredibly proud of him,” Kurt said after Sunday’s race.” I never knew he had that work ethic in him. When we were kids, he never did anything. He was always couch loafing and I can make fun of him that way, being the older brother. But in all honesty, this is something very impressive.

“I’m proud of him and he continues to be the gold standard in this whole world of NASCAR, no matter if it’s Trucks, Xfinity, Cup. Those wins need to be acknowledged; the way he’s able to do it week in, week out. All the different series. … He’s almost there, and I’ll be there to give him a big hug when he gets 201.”

It’s not a number that the younger Busch puts a lot of thought into.

“It’s not for me to worry about. It’s for everybody else to discuss and talk about and argue over and debate,” he said after win No. 199. “But for myself and the career that I’ve had, I’ve been fortunate to be with a lot of great people, a lot of great sponsors, those that stick around me like Joe Gibbs, M&M Skittles, Snickers, Interstate Batteries that has always been behind me is what it’s all about for me.

“To work with my guys, take them to Victory Lane is what it’s all about.”

Transplants in company

At the IndyCar Series opener last week in St. Petersburg, Florida, it was revealed that both Roger Penske, owner of Team Penske and Penske Corp., and Tim Cindric, president of Team Penske, received transplants during the off-season. The 82-year-old Penske received a kidney from son Greg.

The elder Penske built Auto Club Speedway (California Speedway) in 1997 and Greg served as the first president.

“When I did that transplant, we were up at the end of the day,” the elder Penske said. “They said, ‘Would you get up and walk over to the window?’” Penske said. “Next day, I’m over in my son’s room. They get you going. It’s amazing. It’s a good spot, good spot.”

Long drought

Jimmie Johnson’s six Cup wins at ASC are an individual high and part of his total of 83. That puts the driver from El Cajon one victory from tying Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for fourth place on the all-time Cup win list.But the Hendrick Motorsports driver is in a career slump, posting his last win in 2017 in Dover. That’s a stretch of 63 Cup races.

But that’s not the longest streak in Cup. Paul Menard has not won a Cup race since the 2011 Brickyard 400, a run of 272 races and the longest among active Cup drivers.

Joey Logano was asked his opinion of Friday’s pit row scuffle in Phoenix between Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell after the first round of qualifying: “Don’t screw with (Suarez), that’s what I learned. He’s like the new Carl Edwards. He’s a tough guy. Holy cow. He’s got some muscles on him. Yeah, don’t p— him off.” …. ACS is offering “All Day Food Fest” on Sunday, $40 for those 13 and over and $25 for 12 and under. The participating concession stands, located throughout the property, are Dog House (two locations), Drivers Cuisine Cantina, Woodies, RPM BBQ, All American Grill, West Coast Sliders and Pit Road Café. … WWE superstar Rey Mysterio will serve as the honorary pace car driver on Sunday. … Alex Bowman’s No. 88 Chevrolet will feature his dogs Finn and Roscoe and Brea-based Nationwide pet insurance.

Lou Brewster is a nationally recognized motorsports journalist who has staffed NASCAR and NHRA events since 1969. Has also staffed high school football, in five different states, since 1967. Has won several national awards in writing and breaking news.

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